Alternative methods to extract the hardness and elastic modulus of thin films from nanoindentation load-displacement data

Abstract

This paper presents alternative analysis methodologies to extract the elastic modulus and hardness of the ultra-thin films from nanoindentation load-displacement data, especially when the film thickness is only few hundred nanometers or less. At such film thickness, the conventional analysis methods for nanoindentation usually do not give accurate film properties due to the substrate effect. The new methods are capable to show how to determine the film-only properties and how the substrates affect the nanoindentation measurement, especially for ultra thin films. These methods give accurate results for nanoindentation of various metallic, ceramic and polymeric films. It also reveals the differences between the use of high-resolution nanoindentation set-up and normal nanoindentation set-up on the same films. The relationships between the mechanical properties and film thickness are also discussed. © 2010 Imperial College Press.